Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Tuesday 15 February 2000

Scottish Executive

Council Tax

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide specific figures on or an estimate of how many council tax payers are currently in debt to local authorities for their water and sewerage charges and not for their council tax.

Mr Jack McConnell: This information is not held centrally.

Education

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, in the light of the availability of supply teachers, it has issued or intends to issue any policy guidelines on the continued employment of teachers who have reached retirement age and wish to continue in a teaching capacity.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The employment of supply teachers is a matter for local authorities. I would expect them to take due account of the impact on children’s education when deciding whom to employ. There are no statutory impediments to retired teachers providing supply cover.

Family Law

David McLetchie (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether One Parent Families Scotland will be treated on the same basis as other groups named in the Ministerial Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice on 20 January 2000 in relation to applications for funding from the new statutory grant scheme.

Mr Jim Wallace: The boundaries of the new statutory grant scheme which I announced in my statement of 20 January will be set out in the White Paper which I intend to issue in May. The detail has not been finalised, but the objective will be to assist organisations who provide services to families in transition. Whether an organisation comes within the scope of the scheme will depend on the services it offers. Existing arrangements to support organisations under section 10 of the Social Work Services (Scotland) Act 1968 are not affected and this applies to One Parent Families Scotland.

Glasgow

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to recognise Glasgow’s position as a provider of services to large numbers of people not resident in the city by awarding "metropolitan" status to Glasgow.

Mr Jack McConnell: There is no such thing as "metropolitan" status in Scotland, and I refer you to my reply of 29 July 1999 to question S1W-573.

Health

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will issue a circular to all NHS Trusts in Scotland to ensure that operations are not carried out to amputate healthy limbs.

Susan Deacon: People in Scotland who suffer distress about their appearance have a right to medical assessment by their general practitioners, which might result in a referral for expert advice and treatment to psychiatrists, plastic surgeons, or, in exceptional circumstances, to general surgeons, as appropriate. The degree and intensity of the mental distress, the combination of possible treatments, including medicines, surgical operations or psychological support needed to relieve the distress will be different for each individual patient. In very exceptional circumstances, a patient may have such a severe problem that the most effective treatment may be amputation.

  At my request, the Chief Medical Officer has written to all Trusts asking them what their procedures are in these circumstances.

Health

Mrs Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3571 by Susan Deacon on 27 January 2000, whether it plans to audit the number of attacks on NHS staff centrally in order to monitor whether its Occupational Health and Safety Service strategy is succeeding in preventing violent attacks in the work place.

Susan Deacon: A working group is being set up to identify the minimum datasets relating to staff health and safety which should be established at Trust/practice level that will directly inform management and organisations of the service both at local and national level.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to review the pay and conditions of those within the NHS who are excluded from the Pay Review Body, such as biomedical scientists.

Susan Deacon: The pay and conditions of all staff groups within the NHS, including those excluded from the Pay Review Body, are reviewed annually.

  A revised offer was made to these groups of staff on 11 January and this is now the subject of consideration by the main trades unions involved.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve the recruitment and retention of biomedical scientists working in the NHS.

Susan Deacon: There is no evidence held centrally to suggest any widespread recruitment and retention issues surrounding this staff group.

  However, the recent pay offer to biomedical scientists, if accepted, will mean increases of up to 26% from 1 April 1999 for Trainee MLSOs, 7.1% for MLSO1s and 7.1% for MLSO2s with a further 3.25% for all these groups from April 2000.

Health

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an assurance that no further operations will take place privately or otherwise in NHS hospitals involving removing healthy limbs or other body parts from patients suffering from mental health problems, including body dysmorphic disorder.

Susan Deacon: I refer the Member to my answer to S1W-4086.

Health

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide an estimate of how many intravenous drug users among prostitutes in Glasgow are HIV positive.

Susan Deacon: Estimates, based on work undertaken by the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health, suggest that in 1999 the prevalence of HIV infection among prostitutes in Glasgow who inject drugs would be no greater than 1% or 10 cases.

Heritage

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is available to local authorities such as Glasgow City Council to assist in the maintenance and renovation of Scotland’s architectural heritage.

Rhona Brankin: Glasgow City Council has statutory powers to make grants and loans towards the cost of repair or maintenance of historic buildings from the total funds allocated to it by the Scottish Executive. Partnership funding can be provided by Historic Scotland, an agency within the Scottish Executive, for the repair of buildings within outstanding conservation areas which are the subject of a Town Scheme agreement between Historic Scotland and the local authority. Assistance is also available in the form of grants for the repair of properties of outstanding architectural or historic interest, or key priorities within outstanding conservation areas, in the ownership of local authorities under the Historic Buildings and Repair Grants Scheme administered by Historic Scotland.

Local Government

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to encourage local authorities which currently fail to name and take appropriate action against elected members and council officials who are involved in housing benefit fraud to do so.

Mr Frank McAveety: Housing benefit is a reserved matter and is the responsibility of the Department of Social Security. However, the administration of housing benefits is the responsibility of local authorities in accordance with rules set down by that Department. There are well-defined fraud procedures in place in each local authority in relation to housing benefit, and all other areas of activity, supported by the Accounts Commission for Scotland. The Scottish Executive has no remit in this.

Parliamentary Questions

John Young (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average time taken is by each member of the Executive to give a final answer to written parliamentary questions.

John Young (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of first answers given to written questions are holding answers, broken down in respect of each member of the Executive.

Mr Tom McCabe: The information sought is contained in Appendix 5 of a report of an audit of written parliamentary questions which I said would be carried out in response to a question from Dr Richard Simpson (S1O-206) on 2 September. The report is being lodged in SPICe today.

Statistics

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3813 by Mr Jack McConnell on 24 January 2000, when it will make available on its website or by publication full production timetable details for 1997 and 1998 pending the customer review.

Mr Jack McConnell: Forthcoming statistical releases are currently pre-announced at least one month in advance on the Scottish Executive website and through the UK-wide arrangements co-ordinated by the Office for National Statistics. These arrangements will continue.

  Many statistics for 1997 and 1998 have already been published, both in hard copy and on the Scottish Executive website. The arrangements for the dissemination of economic statistics will be significantly enhanced by the release on 21 February of Scottish Economic Statistics 2000, the first in a new series of annual volumes.

Statistics

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3813 by Mr Jack McConnell on 24 January 2000, whether it will give a commitment to continue to update any economic or statistical information published on its website in the interests of academic research and public scrutiny during the period of the customer review.

Mr Jack McConnell: We are committed to making information available to all those with an interest in economics and statistics in ways they find helpful and appropriate, by releasing formal publications in paper and electronic forms and responding to ad-hoc enquiries. All these arrangements will continue during the customer review.

  As part of this commitment, we are introducing a new series of economic publications. The first Scottish Economic Report was released on 24 January.

Statistics

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3813 by Mr Jack McConnell on 24 January 2000, whether it will rule out any form of privatisation of statistical information prior to the completion of the customer review.

Mr Jack McConnell: We have no plans to change the current system for the preparation of statistical information.

Student Finance

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the speech by the Deputy Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning on 27 January 2000 ( Official Report col.603-4), whether it will make available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre the legal advice referred to and, if not, why not.

Henry McLeish: No. It is neither custom nor practice of the UK Government or the Executive in Scotland to publish its legal advice.

Transport

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has published any guidelines for local authorities on the gritting of roads during winter weather conditions and, if so, whether it will place a copy in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Sarah Boyack: Local authorities carry out winter maintenance duties on all motorways, with the exception of the M74 between Millbank and Gretna, and trunk roads on behalf of the Scottish Executive in accordance with the requirements of the term management and maintenance contracts for the trunk road network and the Code of Practice for Winter Maintenance for Trunk Roads . The Code complements the arrangements which each local authority has in place for its own local roads.

  A copy of the Code of Practice has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Transport

Ian Jenkins (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-3307 by Sarah Boyack on 15 December 1999, whether the study into the reopening of the Borders Railway has been completed.

Sarah Boyack: The study commissioned by the Scottish Executive, Scottish Borders Council, Midlothian Council and Scottish Borders Enterprise has now been completed. It was proposed by the Borders Working Party as a contribution to the consideration of how transport links to the area could be improved to the benefit of its economy.

  The study is the product of a thorough analysis of the technical feasibility of reopening part or all of disused railway line from Edinburgh to Carlisle together with a detailed assessment of the economic, social and environmental impacts. Both the capital costs and operational viability of a range of options have been examined in detail. For all of these options the study has found that there would be a need for considerable public funding.

  The study is an impartial and independent one. It has applied a robust methodology to arrive at a set of conclusions that can now be considered by the key stakeholders, in particular the relevant local authorities, local enterprise companies and the rail industry. As intended, the study does not make any recommendations on whether or not the project should be progressed and, if so, how. That is for the key stakeholders to decide and take forward with other interested parties, including the Scottish Executive, as appropriate.

  The study’s findings will be made available to all that wish to see them. I have arranged for it to be made available through the Scottish Parliament Information Centre and the Scottish Executive Library. Arrangements have also been made for copies to be available in local libraries in the areas concerned. The study will also be available in a digital form.

Voluntary Sector

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been given to each Council of Voluntary Service from government agencies in the last three years.

Jackie Baillie: There are currently 42 rural and 10 urban Councils of Voluntary Service (CVS). The urban CVS do not, at present, receive direct funding from the Scottish Executive. The main source of their funds is local authorities. For the majority of rural CVS, the Scottish Executive provides the main part of their core funding. Core and project funding can come from other sources such as local authorities, health boards, Local Enterprise Companies and the National Lottery Charities Board.

  The table below shows the direct funding to the rural CVS from the Scottish Executive for the last three years.

  


Council of Voluntary Service

  

1997-98
£

  

1998-99
£

  

1999-2000
£

  



ALVO

  

25,967

  

25,967

  

26,000

  



Angus AVO

  

24,687

  

25,000

  

25,000

  



Annan & Eskdale CVS

  

27,753

  

27,753

  

27,753

  



Argyll CVS

  

25,000

  

25,000

  

25,000

  



Arran CVS

  

20,573

  

21,190

  

23,900

  



BBRIDGE

  

27,429

  

27,429

  

27,429

  



Berwickshire AVS

  

24,322

  

26,000

  

26,000

  



Bute Community Links

  

22,560

  

23,500

  

25,000

  



Caithness VG

  

27,608

  

27,607

  

27,607

  



Central Borders AVS

  

17,020

  

20,600

  

20,600

  



CVO Kyle & Carrick

  

19,202

  

20,000

  

25,000

  



CVS Fife

  
 
 

10,000

  



Dunfermline CVS

  
 

10,000

  
 



East Ayrshire CVO

  
 

25,000

  

25,000

  



ELVON

  

19,202

  

22,000

  

22,000

  



Gordon Rural Action

  

27,429

  

27,429

  

27,429

  



Harris CVS

  

20,269

  

24,000

  

24,000

  



Highland Federation CVS

  
 

2,875

  
 



Islay & Jura CVS

  

29,791

  

29,791

  

29,791

  



Kincardine & Deeside CSS

  

30,664

  

30,664

  

30,664

  



Midlothian VA

  

13,716

  

14,500

  

14,500

  



Moray VSO

  

27,427

  

27,427

  

27,427

  



NW Sutherland CCA

  

19,202

  

20,000

  

25,000

  



Nithsdale CVS

  

19,202

  

20,500

  

20,500

  



Perth & Kinross AVS

  

27,024

  

27,024

  

27,024

  



Ross & Cromarty CVS

  

26,241

  

26,241

  

26,500

  



Roxburgh AVS

  

21,889

  

24,000

  

24,000

  



Shetland CSS

  

31,730

  

31,730

  

31,730

  



Skye & Lochalsh CVO

  

25,844

  

25,844

  

26,000

  



Stewartry VA

  

24,687

  

26,000

  

26,000

  



Stirling AVO

  

23,408

  

24,500

  

24,500

  



Tweeddale AVS

  

19,458

  

22,500

  

22,500

  



Uist CVO

  

24,018

  

25,000

  

25,000

  



VA Badenoch & Strathspey

  

26,635

  

26,635

  

26,635

  



VA Barra & Vatersay

  

25,644

  

25,644

  

25,644

  



VA Inverness

  

19,202

  

20,000

  

24,000

  



VA Lewis

  

34,808

  

34,808

  

34,808

  



VA Lochaber

  

24,697

  

26,000

  

26,000

  



VA of Nairn Group

  

15,361

  

16,000

  

25,000

  



VA Orkney

  

35,983

  

35,983

  

35,983

  



VA West Lothian

  

22,198

  

22,500

  

22,500

  



VG East Sutherland

  

25,000

  

25,000

  

25,000

  



VO North East Fife

  

24,687

  

24,687

  

25,000

  



Wigtown CVS

  

24,687

  

25,600

  

25,600

  



TOTAL

  

972,224

  

1,039,928

  

1,065,024

Voluntary Sector

Mr Duncan Hamilton (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what timescale was given to the consultants to research and publish their report on the review of Councils of Voluntary Service; what was the period of consultation; how many responses were received as a result of the consultation, and when it will publish its response.

Jackie Baillie: The consultants, Eglinton Management, were formally appointed on 13 September to undertake the review of the Councils of Voluntary Service. Their final report was issued for consultation on 15 November, with responses due by the end of 1999. A total of 30 responses have been received and a formal response from the Scottish Executive will issue shortly.